Acetylene-gas apparatus.



No. 692,89l.

(No Model.)

J. ST. L. MGGINN.

AGETYLENE GAS APPARATUS.

(Application led Jan. 20, 1899.)

Patented reu. n, |902.

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

Patented Feb. Il, |902.

.1. sT.` L. mecum. AGETYLENE GAS APPARATUS.

(Application Bled Jan. 20, 1899.)

(No Modal.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Tn: wams PErEns co.. Puorouwo., wAsNmaYaN. o, c.

UNITED STATES 'n PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN ST. LEGER MCGINN, OF VINNIPEG, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES CUSHINGHOLLAND, TRUSTEE, OF MONTREAL', CANADA.

ACETYLENE-GAS APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 692,891, datedFebruary 1 1, 1 902.

y Application filed January Z0, 1899. Serial No. 702,830. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ST. LEGER Mc- GINN, of the city of Winnipeg, inthe Province of Manitoba, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Gas Apparatus; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to acetylene-gas apparatus generally, butparticularly to that illustrated and described inmy applications, SerialNo. 676,083, filed April 1, 1898, and allowed August 27,1898, and SerialNo. 688,593, tiled August 15, 1898.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction ofacetylene-gas apparatus with a view to greater efficiency and increasedsafety.

To these ends the invention may be said, brieliy, to consist inl sealingall the passages to or from the decomposing or gas-generating chamberwith a seal that must of necessity be rendered effective before thefirst drop of water can be supplied to the said chamber, said seal beingfurther adapted to remain effective notwithstanding the separation ofsaid chamber from the gas-containing chamber.

More specifically speaking, the apparatus consists of a maingenerating-chamber divided into a number of compartments and closed atits top by a removable cover, having a pair of short tubes extendingupwardly therethrough, one ofV which is adapted to be connected to thegas-pipe leading to the gasholder, while the other is adapted at timesto communicate with the atmosphere and at other times to be closed andsealed. These tubes are located in what may be termed a sealing chamber.An overflow-port is formed near the upper edge of the sealingchamber tocommunicate with a water seal surrounding and sealing the adjoiningedges of the generating-chamber and its cover, a

communicating channel being formed between said seal and the interior ofthe generator, while a series of communicating channels connect thecompartments of the generating-chamber to one another. Thesealing-chamber, surrounding seal, and various channels are so arrangedrelatively to one an= other that the .water in its circuit to thegenerating-chamber will first till and overflow both the sealing-chamberand the surrounding seal. before reaching said ,f ,renerati11g-cham-`ber, and in so doing will effectively seal the outlet to the atmospherethrough either of the beforementioned tubes from saidgenerating-chamber. Means'are provided whereby water will be suppliedautomatically through the action of an improved gas-holder (illus- 6otrated, described, and claimed by me in an application for LettersPatent filed, under Serial No. 702,831, on January 30, 1899) to thesealing-chamber and thence to the generating-chamber through its waterseal, as before 6 5 mentioned, the calcium carbid being supported inmeasured quantities above the water in the generating-chamber and causedby the rise of the water to be precipitated and completely submerged ina novel manner therein.

For full comprehension, however, of my i11- vention reference must behad to the accompanying drawings, in which like symbols indicate thesame parts, and wherein- Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectionalView 0f my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional viewthereof, taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectio-nalView of my improved generator, taken 8o on line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is adetail side elevation of the means for supporting the carbid-containingcups. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view lof one of the cups;Fig.

6, a detail vertical sectional view of the means V for operating thevalve of the water-supplying device, and Fig. 7a detail plan view of thestar-wheel forming a part of said water-supplying device. Fig. 8 is adetail sectional view of one of the standards of the'removable 9o frame,taken on line 8 8, Fig. 4. l

My generator consists of a circular casing divided diametrically into anumber of compartments. Thischambercommunicates with the gas-holderthrough a novel sealing-chamber and' other connections. Each of thesecompartments contains mechanism for automatically immersing a freshsupply of calcium carbid in water automatically supplied to saidcompartment when the pressure of gas roo in the holder is decreasedbelow what is required to serve the consumption. This casing 5 restsupon the floor of the building and is constructed with a pocket 9 at itsupper end, which receives the pendent peripheral flange 10 of a cover.This cover consists of a circular plate 12, having besides said flange10 a vertically-projecting flange 13, having a segment thereof increasedin height, asat 14. A pair of vertical tubes 15 and 16, equal in lengthto one another and to the segment 14, project upwardly from a pair ofopenings in said cover. A cylindrical cap 17 fits over each of thesetubes, the cap fitting over tube 16 being weighted, and the tube 15 andits cap 17 are inclosed by a pipe 18, soldered at its lower end to thecover, while the upper end thereof projects upwardly above the tube 15and has an encircling pipe 20, secured at its lower end thereto a shortdistance above the lower end thereof andl with its upper end on a levelwith the upper end of the pipe 18, thus forming an elongated pocket 19.A pipe 2l, about equal in length to said pipe 18, is supported rigidlyby and communicates with the gas-conducting pipe 22, with its lower endtaking downwardly into the pocket 19 a sufficient distance to provide aneffective water seal, as will be presently described, while awater-conducting tube 23, having a flared upper end, is soldered to theside of the pipe 21.

A pair of walls 25, equal in height to lthe segmental wall 14, aresoldered at their radially outer edges to the lside edges thereof, attheir bottom edges to lthe cover 12, and at their radially inner edgesto the tube 21 and the lower end of the pipe 18, thus constituting asealing-chamber 26, while said lower end of the said pipe 18 and theupper end of the segmental wall 14 are perforated, respectively, as at27 and 28, and the upper end of the pipe 2O is perforated, as at 29.

A series-of radial partitions 30, 31, 32, and 33 (constituting thediametrical divisions of the generator before referred to) extend fromthe bottom of the casing 5 to within a short distance of the topthereof, thus forming centrolineal subcharnbers 34, 35, 36, and 37,respectivel y, and said three flrstmention ed partitions are provided,respectively, with overow-openings 38, 39, and 40, respectively, nearthe upper ends lthereof, while the segmental wall of the subchamber 37has a corresponding opening 41 near its upper end. A series of tubularconductors 42, 43, 44, and 45 are formed in the interior of saidsubchambers and extend from the said respective openings to within ashort distance of the iioor of the casing. Within each subchainber aremovable cup-supporting frame is located, andV consists of a pair ofstandards 46, semicylindrical in cross section, supported between topand bottom rectangular framepieces 47 and 48, respectively, andarevertically slotted longitudinally thereof, as at 49, from oneframe-piece to the other. The edges of each standard are diagonallyslotted, as at 50, and a lever 51 is fulcrumed, as at 52, to thestandard, and supported by a stop 53 upon said standard tonormallyextend horizontally on a line about midway of the upper end of eachadjacent pair of slots, and with one end projecting toward the center ofthe casing and the other end intersecting the said slot 49.

y My improved carbid-containing cup consists of an inclosing cup portion54, in which is secured concentrically thereof a cylindrical section 55,constituting the carbid carrier proper and having its upper edgenotched, as at 56, the inclosing cap having a series of perforations 57about midway of the height of the inside section 55, which is greater inheight than the inclosing cup 53, while the space between said inner andouter portions receives the lower end of a cover in the form of aninverted cup 58, equal in depth to said inner portion 55 and having aseries of notches 59 at its lower edge. A pair of rigid pins 60 projectfrom each side of the inclosing cup 54 and take into vthe diagonal slots50, and a vertically-arranged staple-like pro jection 61 takes into thevertical slot 49 and receives the short end of the lever 5l, whichretains the cup against displacement. The upward movement of the coverrelatively to the cup-,body is restricted by a link rigidly connected tothe said cover and having a sliding connection with the body. This linkconsists of a piece of wire 160, soldered at its upper end to the top ofthe cover and having its lower end bent to form a loop 161, adapted totake over the uppermost of the pins 60.

A float 62, triangular in plan view, is located in the inside corner ofeach subchamber, where it is localized, and guided in guideways formedby vertically-arranged angular strips 63, secured to the sides of thepartitions, during an upward movement imparted thereto by water suppliedto the said cham ber, as will be presently described.

The gas-holder,which, as before mentioned, forms the subject-matter ofau application of even date herewith filed by me on January 20, 1899,under Serial No. 702,831, consists of an inclosing casing V70, in whicha gas-receiving drum 7l is located, this drum being of the usual domeform and fits over a second domelike structure 72, the lower edgeswhereof are connected by an annular diaphragm 73 to the lower edge ofthe inclosing casing. A vertical tubular section 74 is formed centrallyof the innermost dome and communicates by a horizontal pipe 75 with thelower end of the space between said inner dome and the outer casing. Thedrum has a tube 76, extending from a central opening in the top thereofdownwardly into the tubular passage formed by said tubularsection 74, towhich it approximately corresponds in length, while the outer casingalso has a tube 78, extending from a central opening in the top thereofdownwardly into the last before-mentioned tube to a point a shortdistance below the top of the before-mentioned vertical tubular passage.The gas-conducting pipe 22 from the generating-chamber is taken into theinclosing cas- IIO in gnearv the bottom thereof, and upwardly throughthe innermost dome-like ystructure and through thetop thereof tocommunicate with the space between said structure and the drum, and thesecond gas-cond uctin g pipe 180 leads from said space between thestructure and drum to a point where the gas is to be distributed forconsumption. At the top of the inclosing casing a blow-od pipe 181 istaken from the interior thereof to the openV air. The water for sealin gpurposes is 'supplied to thespace between the saidstructure and theouter casing through a pipe 80, formed on the exterior of the casing andleading from the lower end of said space upwardly to a point above thelevel at which it may be desired to keep the water seal. vThe water forgenerating purposes is supplied to the generator through a feeder ofnovel construction and illustrated and claimed by me in applicationSerial No. 688,593, filed August 15, 1898.

In order to better understand the working of my apparatus, I will nowdescribe the supplying device.

Water is received into a feeder 82 (see Figs. 1, 6, and 7) through apipe 83, that extends to any suitable source of supply. Within thefeeder or box 82 is a horizontal partition 81, having an opening 84. Arotary valve 85, having an opening therein, rests on said partition 81and is provided with a stem 86, that extends through a tube 87 and outof the lower end of the feeder 82. On the flanged end of this tube 87 isloosely mounted a four-armed or star wheel 88, Fig. 7, which has pendentbifurcated arms 89, that enga-ge a rod 90, passing through the stern 86.The arms of this wheel are formed of metal rods bent to present somewhatof a pear shape equal at its greatest widthto the diameter of the hub ofthe wheel. It is apparent that as the star-wheel rotates the valve 85must be rotated also. Such rotation is effected by contact with the armsof the wheel of one arm of a bell-crank lever 95, fulcrumed to a bracket9G, mounted upon the gas-holder and actuated by a lever 97, fulcrumedupon the upper end of a standard 98 upon the top of the holder. Thislatter lever is formed with a forked end 99, adapted to be engaged by across-piece 100 uponV the upper end of a rod 101, secured at its lowerend within the tube 76. also embodied in above-mentioned application ofeven date herewith. It is further apparent that a part revolution of thewheel will-permit the fiow of water from the upper to the lowercompartmentv of the feeder 82, whence it will flow through a pipe 104into a chute 105, automatically tilted into position by the act-ion ofthe before-mentioned lever 97 through a slot 106 in the lower end of arod107, through which the before-mentioned bell-crank lever 95 is alsoactuated. This chute guides the water into a water-distributer108,-whence it flows either by the pipe 109 to the first water seal ofthe generator illustratedor by the pipe 110 to another genera- Thislatter lever is toi-. (Not shown.) This distributer is'also illustratedand 'described in my'pendingapplication, Serial No. 688,593,filed'Aug'ust 15,' 1898, and consists of a receptacle`108, having atransverse angular partition 112, upon whichja tiltable chute rides.VThis latter chute consists of a long central plate 111, having parallelwings 113 on each sideand two short bottom plates 114, th'at'stand at anobtuse angle to the central and longer plate. By tilting this chute thewater can be caused to run through either one of the pipes .'109 or 110.

The operation of my improved apparatus is as follows, it being supposedthat the cups are charged with carbid, but no gas yet generated, thelever for actuating the water-supply being under such circumstances inthe position'indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The water will fiowinto the distributor, as before mentioned, and thence through thewater-conductor 23 until the sealing-space between the pipes 18 and 21is filled, when it will overfiow through opening 29' into thesealing-chamber 26 and fill vit up to its overfiow-opening 28, throughwhich it will'tlow into the pocket 9, which is inturn filled tooverflow-opening 41, through which it finally finds it way to thechamber V3a. The water will continue to fiow into this chamber until `asufficient depth is provided to cause the float to impinge uponthe leverof the lowermost cup, thereby releasing said cup,7 and ,causing same tobe precipitated into the water, where the air naturally containedbeneath the cap 58 will cause said cap to rise from its seat andsufficiently to allow the water to'flow into the cups and Vattack thecarbid therein, the wire loops 161 restricting the upward movement ofthe cap and still retaining same inr sucha position that it will 'whenthe carbid has been exhausted fall back to its seat. Meanwhile gas willhave been generated and will have passed through pipe 15 (raising thecap 17) to the drum ofthe gas-holder, which will inrising tilt the leverfor actuating the water-supply device and the chute to the positionshown in full lines in Fig. 1, thus turning off the water. When thegashas been to a certain extent exhausted by consumption, the above willbe repeated again and again and cup after cup dropped until all thecalcium carbid in the first subchamber has been exhausted and the waterhas flooded that chamber and fiows through the overflow-opening to theadjoining subchamber, wherein a similar action takes place, and fromthat subchamber to the next in a similar manner until every cup in allfour subchambers has been dropped and the carbid therein exhausted.

In order to have access to the generator after its contents have beenexhausted, thel valvularrcap 27 of pipe 16 should be first removed Vandthe cover then raised fromk the lbody portion until the lower edgeof thedepending flange clears the upper edge of the IOO IIO

outer wall of the pocket 9,when the body portion can be withdrawn alongthe ioorfrom beneath the cover. In so raising the cover the pocket19will be drawn up over the pipe 21, to accommodate whichasufficientdistance between the lower ends of said pipe and pocket has beenprovided, thus constantly maintaining the seal of the point ofconnection between the parts of the gas-conductor constituted by saidpipes 1S and 21. e

What I claim is as follows: 1. An acetylene-gas generator comprising abody portion and a cover, a tube extending upwardly from said cover andcommunicating with the interior of said body portion; acontrolling-valve for said tube; means for sealing said valve while thegenerator is not operating; a vertical tubular section extendingupwardly from the cover and encircling said tube; a gas-conducting pipe;and means for connecting one end of said pipe to said tubular section,for the purpose set forth.

2. An acetylenegas generator comprising a body portion and a cover, apair of tubes extending upwardly from said cover, and communicating withthe interior of said generator; a sealingchamber formed to inclose saidtubes and having an overfiow-openiug near its upper end; acontrolling-Valve for each of said tubes; oneof said valves beingoperated by the rising gas-pressure in the generator, the liquid in saidsealing-chamber sealing said valves a vertical tubular extension fromthe floor of said sealing-chamber and encircling saidautomatically-controlled tube, and commuuicating at its lower end withsaid sealingchamber; a gas-conducting pipe and means for connecting oneend of said gas-conducting pipe to said tubular extension, for thepurpose set forth.

3. An acetylene-gas generator comprising a body portion and a cover, apair of tubes eX- tending upwardly from said cover, and communicatingwith the interior of said generator; asealing-chamber formed to inclosesaid tubes and having an overflow-opening near its upper end; acontrolling-Valve for each of said tubes; one of said valves beingoperated by the rising gas-pressure in the generator, the liquid insaidv sealing-chamber sealing said Valves; a vertical tubular extensionfrom the door of said sealing-chamber and encircling said automaticallyvalve-controlled tube, and communicating atits lower end with saidsealing-chamber; a gas-conducting pipe and means comprising a wateryseal for connecting one end of said gas-conducting pipe to said tubularextension, for the purpose set forth.

4. An acetylenegas generator comprising a body portion and a cover, apair of tubes extending upwardly from said cover, and coinmunicatingwith the interior of said generator; a sealing-chamber formed to inelosesaid tubes and having an overiiow-opening near its upper end; acontrolling-valve for each of said tubes; one of said valves beingoperated by the rising gas-pressure in the generator,

the liquid in said sealing-chamber sealing said Valves ;Y a verticaltubular extension from the floor of said sealing-chamber and encirclingsaid automatically valve controlled tube, and communicating at its lowerend with said sealing-chamber; an encircling pocket formed upon theupper end of said tubular extension and having an overliowopening nearitsv upper end; a tubular section taking downwardly a short distanceinto said pocket, and communicating at its upper end with agas-conducting pipe a depending peripheral flange upon said cover; thebody of the generator having aY pocket formed at its upper end toreceive said depending ange, the outer wall of said pocket being ofgreater height than the generating-chamber and the upper end of saidgenerating-chamber being formed with an overflow-opening; means forsupplying water to the pocket of said vertical tubular extension; meansfor holding calcium carbid located within said generator; and meansactuated by the water as it rises in said generator for causing saidcalcium carbid and water to combine for the purpose set forth.

5. An acetylene-gas generator comprising a Y body portion and a cover, apair of tubes extending upwardly from said cover, and communicating withthe interior of said generator; a sealing-chamber formed to inclose saidtubes; and having an overow-opening near its upper end acontrolling-valve for each of said tubes; one of said valves beingoperated by the rising gas-pressure in the generator, the liquid in saidsealing-chamber sealing said valves, a Vertical tubular extension fromthe door of said sealing-chamber and encircling said automaticallyvalve-controlled tube, and communicating at its lower lOO end with saidsealing-chamber; an encircling pocket formed upon the upper end of saidtubular extension and having an overflowopening near its upper end; atubular section taking downwardly a short distance into said pocket, andcommunicating at its upper end with a gas-conducting pipe a dependingperipheral flange upon said cover; the body of the generator having apocket formed at its upper end to receive said depending flange, theouter wall of said pocket being of greater height than thegenerating-chamber and the upper end of said generating-chamber beingformed with an overflow-opening; means for supplying water to the pocketof said vertical tubular extension; a series of holders forpredetermined quantities of calcium carbid located within saidgenerator; and means actuated by the water as it rises in said generatorfor successively submerging said holders in the water for the purposeset forth.

6. In a generator containing water, a frame comprising one or moreVertical standards each having a series of longitudinal slots; a seriesof cups; a staple-like projection upon each cup and taking into one ofsaid longitudinal slots; a series of levers fulcrumed to IIO saidstandards and normally taking at one end into the portion of saidstaple-like projections protruding through said slots and means forsuccessively moving said levers out ot' engagement with said staples,for the purpose set forth.

7. In a generator containing Water, a removable frame comprising one ormore vertical standards semicircular in cross-section and each having aseries of diagonal slots in the edges thereof, and a series oflongitudinal slots; a series of cups; a series of lateral pinprojections upon the sides of said cups and taking into said slots; astaple-like projection upon each cup and taking into one'of saidlongitudinal slots; a series of levers fulcrumed to said standardsandnormally taking at one end into the portion of saidstaplelikeprojections protruding through said slots and means forsuccessively moving said'levers out of engagement with said staples, forthe purpose set forth.

8. In a generator containing water; means for supplying Water to saidgenerator, a removable' frame comprising one or more vertical standards,and a series of vertical slots; a series of cups; a staple-likeprojection upon each cup and taking into one of said vertical slots; aseries of levers fulcrumed to said standards and taking at one end intothe portion of said staple-like projections protruding through saidslots and a float for successively moving said levers substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

9. In a generator containing Water; means for supplying water to saidgenerator, a removable frame comprising one or more vertical standardseach having a series of diagonal slots in the edges thereof, and aseries of longitudinal slots; a series of cups; a series of lateral pinprojections upon the sides of said cups and taking into said slots; astaplelike projection upon each cup and taking into one of saidlongitudinal slots; a series of levers fulcrumed to said standards andtaking at one end into the portion of saidstaple-like projectionsprotruding through said slots and a float for successively moving saidlevers substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. In a generator a carbid-containing cupv consisting of an insidecuphaving its upper edge notched; an outside cup having a series ofperforations about midway of the height of said inside cup; and a coverfor said inside 1l. An acetylene-gas generator consisting of a circularcasing having a pocket 9 at its upper end and an overilow-opening 41; aseries of radial partitions 30, having overiioW- opening 88, 31 havingoverflow-opening 39, 32 having overiioW-opening 40 and 33 a removableframe located in each subchamber and comprising one or more verticalstandards semicircular in cross-section and'each having a series ofdiagonal slots in the edges thereof, and a longitudinal slot; a seriesof cups; a series of lateral pin projections upon the sides of said cupsand taking into said slots a staple-like projection upon each cup andtaking into said longitudinal slot; a series of levers fulcrumed to saidstandards and taking at one end into the portion of said staple-likeprojections protruding through said slots and a float guided in theinner angle of each subchamber for successively moving said levers; aremovable cover for said casing; a pair of tubes extending upwardly fromsaid cover, and communicating with the interior of said casing; asealing-chamber formed to inclose said tubes and having anoverfioW-opening to said pocket 9, a controlling-valve for each of saidtubes; one of said valves being operated by the rising gas-pressure inthe generator, the liquid in said sealing-chamber sealing said valves avertical tubular extension from the floor of said sealing-chamber andencircling said automatically valve-controlled tube and communicating atits lower end with said sealing-chamber; an encircling pocket formedupon the upper end of said tubular extension and having anoverflow-opening near its upper end; a tubular section taking downwardlya short distance into said pocket, and communicating at its upper endwith a gas-conducting pipe; a depending peripheral liange upon saidcover taking into said pocket 9; the outer wall'of said pocket 9 beingof greater height than the generating-chamber and the upper end of saidgenerating-chamber, and the upper end of said generating-chamber beingformed with an overliow-opening; and means controlled by the exhaustionof the gas in said generator for supplying Water to the pocket of saidvertical tubular extension, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

JOHN ST. LEGER MCGINN.

Vitnesses:

WILLIAM P. MoFEAT, FRED. J. SEARS.

IOO

